“It was the best thing,” said McKinney, a senior at Sylvan Hills High in Sherwood, Ark. who was up late awaiting word from Morehouse. "My mom cried, posted on Facebook, and called every family member. She was just so excited.”

McKinney will be the first of his siblings to graduate from high school. His older brothers dropped out.

The rising Morehouse freshman was one of a several hundreds of students accepted into the Class of 2021 in the College's sesquicentennial year.

Morehouse was at the top of the list for McKinney, an aspiring attorney. He also applied to a few back-up schools in his home state.

“Morehouse was an obvious choice for me," he said. "[It] is one of the most prominent HBCU's in the country. The school simply makes young black males look good."

Lowe, a senior from Eden, N.C. had to be talked into considering a future at Morehouse. He spoke to some alumni who convinced him to apply. And now, he is glad that he did.

“For the longest time, I really didn’t know about Morehouse,” Lowe said. “I wanted to attend UNC (University of North Carolina) Chapel Hill so badly that I eventually got tunnel vision and didn’t look for other schools."

Lowe said his cousin, Shon Hagwood ’97, and a family friend, Koury Bonds ’92, helped him to see the light. They told him about the history and mission of the College.

“Morehouse was the only school that I [saw] that I could become more culturally, socially aware and active,” Hagwood, a future pharmacist, said. "I could be surrounded by like-minded black men who want to make the world a better place."

The acceptance email, which was sent to more than 1,100 students, will be followed up by official offer packets in the mail, said Brandon Toney, Assistant Director of Admissions at Morehouse College. Toney said there are still a few more applicants who will receive notifications later.

The admitted students can connect virtually on ZeeMee, a social media platform specifically designed for those in the college application process. They will meet in person later during Morehouse's Admitted Students Weekend on April 21 - 22.